In this particular day I shall
interpret a verse from the Analects, namely 19:6. In A Source Book In Chinese Philosophy, Wing Tsit Chan presents the
verse:
“Tzu-hsia said, ‘To study
extensively, to be steadfast in one’s purpose, to inquire earnestly, and to
reflect on what is at hand (that is, what one can put into practice) – humanity
consists in these.’” 1
The theme revolves around the concept of
“making the will sincere” which is the essence of humanity. Making the will sincere connotes zeroing in
on four elements of humanity: extensive
study, steadfast purpose, earnest questioning and reflection. Sincerity of the will is an essential guide
of moral living.
What does “to study extensively” mean? This means that every person exists along
with various realities in life. These realities are either positive or
negative. They can be very challenging
and innovating. Thus, for a person to connect with them rightly, he has to
examine them thoroughly by being objective, broad-minded and determined. By these, he will have clear bases in doing
something.
He needs to “study” the situation
at hand. This means that he must look at
the different angles and weigh the two sides of the situation. This situation analysis must not be done
properly. One must do this in a very
objective and open-minded way so that one will not lose his way towards a
well-informed decision. For example, a
person attempts to resolve the personal conflict between his two friends. Just simply taking sides would not help
resolve the matter rather it would only worsen the situation. The right thing for the individual to do is
“study” the situation at hand. He must
listen to both sides and weigh the reasons of the two. Because he weighed the situation carefully
and extensively, it led him to resolve the conflict between his two friends
without hurting or losing either of them.
It is because of his “extensive study” of the situation that he acted
accordingly. It is in this way that the
first step of making the will sincere is attained. After settling the matter
and having some sort of a “plan” that was made after “studying” the situation,
the individual needs to maintain the knowledge he gained.
Moreover, “to be steadfast in one’s purpose”
means relating the knowledge gained from extensive examination or study of a
situation or reality to a purpose. Like the example I gave on resolving conflict
of two friends, I connect it to the purpose of real friendship, which is
facilitating peace between friends in situation which is quite not peaceful. This act implies inner and real concern for
the two friends in conflict. The purpose
of friendship is to build relation not division, to propagate peace and not
discord and to strengthen harmony among fellow human beings.
To “inquire earnestly “ means to evaluate
the impact or effectiveness of an act or decision based on the given situation.
An individual who is sincere applies
tact and moral wit in every situation he encounters and in every act he
does. It must be noted that whether
actions are good or not so good, they are open to criticisms. The criticisms revolve primarily on the impact
or effectiveness of a deed or an action.
What the individual needs to do at this point is to deal with these
criticisms. The way on how the
individual deals with it is crucial in making his will sincere. This is because if he is really authentic and
sincere in what he does, he can deal with criticisms properly and
objectively without taking them against him.
Criticisms give him best inputs to recognize his self and to improve
more. He is humble enough to learn more
and improve more.
This gives the idea that being
sincere in one’s intention is not something that is attained easily. It is something to work hard for with the
help of others. That is what questioning
is for. To question is to get answers
from something in which you lack. It is
in this humble act that one learns to grow and improve his self. Another way of seeing this phrase is that one
must constantly be thinking and doing. Objective and right inquiry makes the mind
awake; thus, it makes the person aware of what he does and how he does things. It must be noted that
all his actions and decisions should be with purpose and aligned with such
purpose.
Further, the individual must have
sufficient time to reflect on new learning out of all experiences and decisions
he made. This is what the phrase “to
reflect on what is at hand” implies. Reflection
is necessary in developing sincerity in one’s self because it makes one see the
bigger picture of every reality he encounters in life. It also develops one’s thoughtfulness or
deep concern to his fellow human beings through appropriate actions, decisions
and intentions. Reflection aids in
making a person’s will sincere for it gives him a concrete opportunity to show
thoughtfulness and compassion to his fellow human beings. This thoughtfulness
or concern and compassion for others are the very elements of social harmony.
To be human is a matter of knowing what one is, where he is , what he is
for and how he is living with others. It
requires well-directed knowledge, clear and good intention or purpose and a
deep concern for the good of others.
This is what is called “human-heartedness.” The gifts that each one has are a mix of right
thought, right intention or purpose, right inquiry and right reflection. In these, the true meaning of humanity rests.
Source:
1. Wing
Tsit Chan, “The Humanism of Confucius”, (United States: Princeton University Press, 1963), In A Source Book In Chinese Philosophy,38.
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